Ash Kelly has been riding
since 2006. She moved from
Edmonton to Vancouver in
2007 to spend some time on
the North Shore trails. When
not on one of her four bikes,
Ash can be found trail building,
backcountry skiing, sledding,
cooking or reading a book.

Jennifer
Charrette is the
creator of pedaladventures.com.
She lives under the San Juan
mountains of Colorado, with her
husband, son and baby on the
way. Her family is also dedicated
to getting young kids interested
in biking and health through
their non-profit, axelproject.com

Karen Kefauver is a freelance
writer and avid mountain
biker based in Santa Cruz,
California. For more stories
and photos, visit http://www.
karenkefauver.com

Michelle Lambert is a cycling
obsessed resident of the San
Francisco Bay area. She loves
being outside, training and
exploring new trails. Michelle
has been racing cross country
mountain bikes off and on and 5
years ago she took up cyclocross
as well.

Norma Ibarra was born and
raised in Mexico, and has lived
in Canada since 2009. Norma
discovered mountain biking in
2012, and has developed a keen
interest in helping the sport
grow. Currently based in North
Vancouver, Norma obeys one
rule: “Work hard, do what you
love, and do it with passion!”.

Teresa Edgar is based in
the Comox Valley in British
Columbia, Canada. She can
usually be found on one of her
bikes, in a kayak, on her skis,
or hiking in the backcountry.
Teresa has been mountain
biking since the ‘90s and
founded Mountain Bike for Her
in 2012.
P. 3 | Mountain Bike for Her

Photo: Norma Ibarra

Mountain Bike for Her | P. 4

EDITOR’S NOTE
This first issue is a blend of empowerment, motivation,
and encouragement!
Ash Kelly focused on a group of women who are
based in Whistler, British Columbia and known as the
Women’s Freeride Movement; Michelle Lambert took
us behind the race scene to explain her love of racing
and the sisterhood she experiences while competing;
and Karen Kefauver broke through her fear of the
pump track. Not only did she live to tell the tale, she
decided to share it with us!
Also throughout the issue you will find photos from
Norma Ibarra that were taken at the inaugural North
Shore Mountain Bike Association’s Ladies Only
Toonie Prerides!
Shortly after submitting her article on Raising
a Ripper, Jen Charrette gave birth to the newest
member of their family, Lars. Congratulations, Jen!
We hope that you enjoy our premier issue as much as
we enjoyed putting it together!
Teresa Edgar
Publisher

P. 5 | Mountain Bike for Her

Advocacy

THE WOMEN’S
FREERIDE MOVEMENT
While mainstream mountain bike media seems to have set a low standard for
covering women’s specific riding, there is a momentous uptake by the riders
themselves to change the way the female riders are portrayed.
By Ash Kelly
Specifically, the Women’s Freeride
Movement: Lisa Mason, Carolyn Kavanagh,
and Berny Jacques. Impressively, all
three hold down full-time jobs and don’t
earn a penny running WFM in their spare
time; this is how they give back to the
sisterhood of shred.
Each pillar of WFM does something a little
bit different. Their Facebook group is the
hub of activity, a curated crowd sourced
collection of all things rad and female in
extreme sports, with a focus on riding.
The new website, designed by Jacques
was launched last August, showcases the
girls’ own writing and videography. For
Mason, who does most of the writing,
it’s all about using her words to make
people laugh. They have also hosted three
ladies nights at the Air Dome in Whistler
in an attempt to fill the void left when
Crankworx Women’s Worx was cancelled.
Within six months of the first Air Dome
night in 2011, the WFM Facebook group
had over 450 active members. The group
continued to grow in size and narrow its
Mountain Bike for Her | P. 6

focus. “We try and inspire women to do
different activities or different genres of
biking by showcasing what women can
do, and thereby empower them to do it
themselves, or push further,” said Mason.
What all three of the ladies behind the
WFM bring to the table is an insatiable
desire to shred. Mason started riding
when she was 25 and hasn’t stopped for
the last 10 years. “I started [riding] in
Whistler so I get to see a lot of women,
and get to see all of the best women. I
think that it really gave me a drive early
on to try to ride my hardest,” said Mason.
Her first riding experience sums up her
dedication to riding. “We were riding
Train Wreck, this Whistler classic trail
and we came across a root that was way
skinnier than my arm. I turned to my
friend and said ‘You want me to go over
that?’ and he turned to me and said
‘You suck way worse than I thought you
would,’ Ever since then I was like, time to
shred. I’m not going to let this guy tell me
I suck.”

Photo: Carmen Batek

«TODAY I RUN
TO KEEP ON FEELING
THIS UNIQUE
FULLFILMENT
SENSATION… »

Lisa Mason of Whistler B.C. leads the pack down
a Cypress trail in North Vancouver. The team’s
chemistry is apparent on and off the trail.
P. 7 | Mountain Bike for Her

Photo:Ash Kelly

Lisa, Berny and Carolyn (front to back)
Lisa Mason, Berny Jacques and Carolyn Kavanagh each bring
their own strengths to the WFM project, but on the trail it’s
hard to say the same. All three ladies are extremely well rounded
riders who can take on some of the most technical trails in
Whistler and the North Shore. They don’t shy away from the
jumps or the speed either.

Kavanagh, now 42, has been riding since
1999. She started out with cantilever
brakes on old school North Shore gnar.
“It was kind of lonely at first because I
didn’t know anybody, but I knew I liked
the sport and I wanted to be better at
it and persistence paid off,” she said.
In the midst of what she calls a major
40-year-old’s crisis, Kavanagh spent
her 40th birthday on Crabapple hits as
one of three women that represented at
the Unofficial Whip Off for Crankworx
2012. She spends a good majority of her
spare time with her chainsaw, repairing
long forgotten and neglected trails on
Cypress Mountain in North Vancouver.
Jacques was lucky enough to start riding
Mountain Bike for Her | P. 8

the North Shore at 10 years old. Since
then she has upgraded from her first
bike, a Wal-Mart special, and raced the
B.C. cup circuit. In 2013 Jacques raced
her first season as a professional. “I did
actually stop mountain biking for two
years because I didn’t know anyone
that would go with me when my friends
moved away. Then I joined an extreme
sports club and I was the only girl out of
15 guys. From there I was like ‘I can show
these guys that I can do it.’ ”
Knowing the WFM is working towards
goals similar to her own gives Santa Cruz
journalist Joh Rathbun the inspiration
she needs to keep pitching stories about
women in sport. So far it has been an

uphill battle trying to get women the
coverage she feels they deserve. “We’re
either sexualized or ignored. I don’t
want to be sexualized; I don’t want to be
marginalized.
“I had one editor at a local mountain bike
site, very well know mountain bike site,
tell me last year ‘we don’t want any of your
women mountain bike stories’. . .he was
perfectly comfortable telling me that, and
I was just so stunned,” Rathbun said.
It’s
WFM’s
collaborative,
inclusive
approach that Rathbun finds unique.
The team is interested in celebrating
professional riders and the progression
of the sport, but they make an effort to
profile amateur riders and community
members at the same time. “I have a lot of
respect for them because they are willing
to take the time necessary to highlight
any woman regardless of where she’s at
with things, as long as she’s passionate
about what she’s doing, she’s on the bike
— they’re going to be there to support
and that makes a huge difference . . . with
the Women’s Freeride Movement now, I
know I’m not alone and I can rely on my
sisters to move forward,” said Rathbun.
Lisa Mason, Carolyn Kavanagh, Berny
Jacques, Kat Sweet and other women are
taking media exposure into their own
hands and creating the coverage they
want to see for themselves. Kavanagh
aims to produce three films this summer
featuring female riders. “I think of guys
like the Coastal Crew. They build trails, they
make awesome bike movies and they’re all
buddies. They hang out and they ride bikes
and they have fun,” That’s how Kavanagh
imagines the WFM; but as a group of women.
“Why can’t girls go build an awesome bike
P. 9 | Mountain Bike for Her

Photo:Ash Kelly

Carolynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion for riding is only matched by her love for trail
building. She works tirelessly building jumps and trails that are
accessible, challenging and progressive.

Mountain Bike for Her | P. 10

P. 11 | Mountain Bike for Her

trail and use their chainsaw? And why
can’t girls make some awesome videos,
and why can’t girls ride those trails and
throw down some sick tricks? There’s no
reason girls can’t do that,” Kavanagh said.

looking at stuff and they’re putting their
events or linking their stuff, because
they feel like they’re part of something
and it’s part of a collective; which is
what we really wanted,” said Kavanagh.

With growth inevitably come challenges
and hard learned lessons. Last summer the
trio published Women Behind Crankworx
intending to highlight some of the key
female players of the festival. The article
garnished some heat from readers, some
felt it left out some important members
of the community. It was a learning
experience self-taught writer Mason had
to work hard not to take personally. Mason
said she felt bad if she left anyone out
because she “didn’t want to hurt anyone’s
feelings,” an insight that truly aligns with
her bubbly and nurturing character. “I’ve
had people be catty with me because
we’re new and we’re evolving. I wonder
what people think, are they being critical
of our writing? Are we projecting what we
want to say?” said Mason.

The team draws their inspiration from
some powerful players. Listing off the
heavy hitters like Lorraine Blancher,
Casey Brown, Katrina Strand, and Claire
Buchar as role models, they single out
Kat Sweet of Sweetlines Mountain Biking
in Seattle, citing her event, the Sugar
Showdown, as a possible model for a
future WFM event. Sweet is said to have
coined the term sisterhood of shred.
“It’s the best women’s mountain bike
event. It’s a slopestyle, hang out with your
friends thing. We’d like to work with that
model and build something there,” said
Kavanagh.

“It’s a labour of love, it’s really rewarding.
A lot of it is thankless, a lot of the time
you hear more of the negativity,” said
Kavanagh, who has been trying to
understand why women sometimes
have trouble working together. “Maybe
because we’re always the underdog
and we’ve had to fight for everything
we end up fighting each other. I really
want to see women succeed and do
well . . . that’s why I emphasise I really
want us to be inclusive not exclusive.”
WFM is not about winning clicks or
counting followers. The most rewarding
part of the job is seeing women connect
with each other from all over the world. “I
know women are coming to this page and
Mountain Bike for Her | P. 12

Sweet is happy to share her expertise and
experience with the WFM team. “One of
the really cool things about women in
mountain biking in general is a lot of us
like to give back and we like to bring other
women along with us as we progress.
There’s a lot of stewardship going on with
women in mountain biking,” said Sweet.
Her advice for the WFM: “Stick together,
work together and don’t take no for an
answer. There’s going to be a lot of noes
along the way, a lot of ‘well nobody wants
that, nobody’s interested.’ Find ways to
get them interested.”
Looking into the future the girls have a
simple plan: ride, write, film and share
the stories. Tell the stories worth telling
regardless of gender or skill level, and
in doing so inspire as many women
as possible to get on their bikes. 

Photo:Ash Kelly

Berny is a hard working rider who knows what it takes to film or work a photo
shoot. Her willingness to hit big jumps and stunts caught Carolynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye when she was
looking to have a woman represent in her film Cypress Winter.
P. 13 | Mountain Bike for Her

Family

RAISING A RIPPER
We’ve all seen them on the ski slopes: 3 year olds shredding black diamonds with
the parents chasing behind. But where are these little shredders when the snow
melts and singletrack appears across the mountain
By Jen Charrette
With the invention of balance bikes, bike
parks, and lightweight pedal bikes there is
no reason your child can’t start learning
to shred singletrack this summer.
Start with these five tips and watch your
little one rip.

pounds!” There are a number of balance
bikes on the market. Look for one that
is within your budget, weighs less than
7 pounds, and has a platform for kids to
rest their legs. A bonus for older kids is a
hand brake.
TIP 2: TAKE THEM ON ADVENTURES

TIP 1: START THEM ON A BALANCE BIKE

Learning to balance, lean and get your
feet down when you’re in trouble are
important skills to learn early. And
nothing does that better than a balance
bike. You can introduce a balance bike
into your child’s life around the age of
18 months. Balance bikes eliminate the
need for training wheels, teach balance,
and most models are lightweight. And, as
your child progresses balance bikes are
still a great alternative to heavy 12 inch
pedal bikes. They allow little ones to not
only maneuver it easily, but they are also
able to lift and carry the bike themselves
as well – something they simply cannot do
with a pedal bike that weighs more than
60% of their body weight. As Strider’s
Marketing Manager Kyla Wright says,
“This is comparable to asking a 168 pound
adult to ride a bike that weighs over 100
Mountain Bike for Her | P. 14

Even a 2-year-old can start down the
singletrack with you for ½ mile or play on
the start of the trail. While it may seem
hard to load up the entire family, it’s
worth the extra effort for the exposure
and experience.
Max, father of two and owner of Spawn
Cycles states, “My kids aren’t big enough
to ride longer trails with me, so I’ll go
for a shorter spin with them on a trail or
ride with them at the skatepark or pump
track. When my kids get a little bigger
I will spend as much time as I can with
them on the trail because as we both age
one thing is for sure – they will get better
and I will get worse. Right now, and I
imagine for a limited number of years in
the future, they love riding with me. I can
help them improve their skills and we can
share a lot of fun times. They won’t want

P. 15 | Mountain Bike for Her

to ride with me forever so I want to enjoy
it and help them develop as much as I can
while I have the chance. I also find that it
has the added benefit of getting me out
riding more often than I had in the past
few years.”
TIP 3: THINK BIKE PARKS AND BMX

If you have a chance, get your kids
involved in BMX or visit a local bike park.
They are a great way to build bike skills in
a family-friendly environment. A lot of
great mountain bikers have roots in BMX.
It helps kids pick a line, handle a bike in
tight quarters, and move their body weight
around a bike to weight and unweight
Mountain Bike for Her | P. 16

the bike. Jumping, bunny hopping, and
manuals are great skills that transfer
readily onto a mountain bike and can be a
lot easier to master on a smaller BMX bike.
Any type of exposure to pump tracks and
trials type features at a young age is also
great, be it skinnies, teeter totters or any
other number of fun things for kids to ride.
Many BMX parks are also offering balance
bike courses, races, and skills clinics.
TIP 4: QUALITY MATTERS

While you shouldn’t break the bank
outfitting your child to ride, a quality pedal
bike will go a long way to instilling a love
of mountain biking and enhancing their

experience. Once they have graduated
from the balance bike, make sure their first
pedal bike is appropriate for their size and
weight. “We hear tons of parents worried
about the price of lightweight, high quality
kids’ bikes,” says Max. “But think nothing
of dropping hundreds on titanium parts or
dropper posts for their own rides. I know
from my own experience, my kids have
a lot more time to ride than I do, and the
benefits of a pound off of one of their bikes
means a lot more to them than it does to
me.” It’s true that you don’t see many kids
progressing or riding a lot when they have
overly heavy or cumbersome bikes. It’s just
not fun to deal with faulty brakes, shifters
that don’t shift, frames that don’t respond,
and shocks that don’t work. Also, a quality
used kids’ bike has good resale value
while the typical department store bike is
probably headed for the trash making the
net costs similar.

for riding, and whenever possible I put
my son in a long-sleeved shirt, bike gloves,
and socks. Anything to cover up skin and
protect it from the spills,” explains Tanya,
an avid outdoor mom and blogger from
Calgary.
And once you’ve covered the safety
issues, push your kids to progress, while
keeping things within their ability levels.
Pushing the envelope is important, but
scaring kids with bigger features they’re
uncomfortable with, or taking them
on long grueling rides. aren’t likely to
motivate them. When in doubt, err on the
side of caution when you’re trying harder
features or longer, tougher rides for the
first time.
Bottom line – Make it challenging yet
fun and get them out regularly to build
skills and a lifelong love of riding. 

TIP 5: ALLOW PROGRESSION

Remember your first few years of
mountain biking? I bet as you progressed
along the rather steep learning curve you
took your fair share of tumbles. And while
your kids probably have better balance
than you, they are also going to tumble as
they improve. Don’t put labels on where
they should be based on their age. Some
kids will be ready for intermediate and
advanced trails well before you think,
while others may need additional time on
the kid’s loop.
“Guaranteed, kids will take their share of
spills and wipe outs while learning to ride
on both balance bikes and pedal bikes. Try
to keep a positive attitude, bring lots of
snacks, and dress for the falls. We had a
rule in our house against wearing shorts
P. 17 | Mountain Bike for Her

Racing

THE HEART AND SOUL
OF BIKE RACING
“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate
women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and
self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the
picture of free, untrammelled womanhood.” - Susan B. Anthony
By Michelle Lambert
Many of us who are into mountain biking
can name at least one woman within
the pro race circuit. We are generally
familiar with the names of the teams
these women race for, what kind of bike
they ride, and what they do in the off
season. We see them in magazines, in
YouTube videos, and on cycling websites.
These pro women are the ones that have
a great influence on what types of bikes
the companies will design for women
riders. They take prototype bikes and
race the hell out of them, making sure
that the geometry, frame material, and
specs are suitable to sell to the general
public.
These women have to work hard to make
it to the pro ranks, giving up normal
everyday life to train up to six hours a
day and make the commitment to eat
a specific diet - which means giving up
many of the foods that regular people
Mountain Bike for Her | P. 18

could not bear to part with. Chocolate,
Wine, Cake... No way! They have to travel
many weekends of the year, and they
have to deal with a great deal of pressure
to perform up to expectations in order to
maintain their contracts. With all of this
hard work the pros are rewarded with
prize money, free bikes or equipment
from their sponsors, and possibly a
yearly salary.
Also within the mountain bike world
there is another type of racer, the
amateur racer. These are women who put
in forty hours a week at their “regular
job”, family responsibilities, daily
hassles, and tight schedules and STILL
fit in a precious few hours of training a
week in order to race on the weekends.
These amateur women, or weekend
racers, who participate in local races are
the backbone of grassroots racing.

Photo: Colin Wilson

P. 19 | Mountain Bike for Her

Photo: Colin Wilson

HISTORY OF GRASSROOTS RACING

Grassroots racing has been around
almost as long as the sport of mountain
biking itself. In the early days, a few guys
in Northern California and Colorado took
cruiser bikes, adapted them to the rigors
of off-road riding, and then raced these
bikes down fire roads. This idea spawned
the first grassroots racing, the Repack
Series, a downhill time trial which helped
bring mountain biking to the public eye
for the first time. The Repack Series is
also known as mountain bikingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first
recorded competition.
In 1983, NORBA (National Off-Road
Bicycle Association) was founded, which
was the first sanctioning organization for
off-road bicycle racing (now part of USA
Cycling). In the 1990s, amateur mountain
bike racing really took off and thousands
of people around the United States got
their first experience racing mountain
bikes. Locally held races began popping
up as promoters started offering weekend
mountain bike racing within driving
distance to most riders. This enabled
amateur racers to get their chance to
Mountain Bike for Her | P. 20

compete against local competitors and
vie for trophies, medals, and pint glasses.
In 1999, I also caught the racing bug
and entered my first beginner race. It
was insanely hard, I had my ass kicked
up and down the trails but I managed to
finish third, and loved every minute of
it! That race started me on an obsession
with racing mountain bikes and I spent
the next few years racing up and down
California, moving from the beginner
category to the expert category. I have
been racing off and on as an amateur
ever since.
SISTERHOOD

Over the years, while racing the local
circuit, I have had good (and not so
good) experiences but one thing I have
always found when racing bikes is the
camaraderie among the women racers the sisterhood you feel when you lineup
at the start line. Every race is filled with
both new and familiar faces. Some
women you see will race one time, never
to be seen again, but other women will
show up at every race. You quickly learn

Photo: Colin Wilson

P. 21 | Mountain Bike for Her

Photo: Colin Wilson

Mountain Bike for Her | P. 22

who your rivals are, and yet, there is a
sense of bonding among the racers who
line up with you every weekend.
One thing is for sure: the other women
standing at the start line with you are
among the few members of society who
can understand - or relate to - your
obsessive dedication to a sport as brutally
hard as mountain bike racing. They can
relate to the pain of trying not to explode
during a race when you still have three
laps to go. Only they can understand
how hard it was for you to fit in several
hours of training in a week when your
boss is breathing down your neck to get
a sales presentation done before the
deadline. Only other racers can relate to
the bewildered looks when you tell your
family why you need to ride your bike at
5:00am in the morning while everyone
else is snoozing away.
This is the kind of bonding that occurs
among women who spend their hard
earned weekends paying race fees to get
their ass kicked. You feel it when you
roll to the start. The talking, laughing,
and joking at the start line is in complete
contrast to the physical pain you are about
to endure for the next two hours: a fast
paced, brutal, yet, good-spirited battle to
the finish.
Once the whistle blows it is every woman
for herself. The jockeying for position,
the grinding of gears, the grunting of the
riders as they make their way around the
course. The chatter is quickly forgotten
as you begin a tribal battle over who will
be the first onto the singletrack, who
will crest the top of the climb first, and
ultimately, who will survive the battle to
emerge as the victor.

There is something primal about racing
bikes; you will never go so far out of your
comfort zone as you do while racing.
Like a soldier in battle, you simply push
yourself further and deeper than you
ever thought possible. Every woman who
finishes a race has something in common:
the prerequisite nervousness, followed
by subsequent intense pain of going
anaerobic for hours, then the complete
sense of relief when the last hundred
yards of the course is seen. This is followed
by the relief and joy that is the crossing of
the finish line. After a race, the finishers
will usually gather in groups sharing
war stories from the battle grounds. The
talking, laughing, and joking return as the
riders start to relax again, talk about their
performances, results, course conditions,
and to discuss upcoming races.
REASONS WHY WOMEN RACE

Let’s face it, the number of women racing
mountain bikes is not as high as the men
but the small amount who do participate
in grassroots racing are dedicated cyclists
that belong to a core group of women who
make time to follow their cycling passion. I
asked some of my mountain biker friends
why they race:
“I enjoy the friendly competition with
other girls my age and gives me a sense of
satisfaction to finish a race”
“I love racing because it gives me a venue to
release my competitive nature in a healthy
way!”
“Simply because racing is fun!”
“Kicking a$$ is fun”

P. 23 | Mountain Bike for Her

“Racing lets me see how I compare to other
women in my area in regard to my fitness
and technical skills. I can then see what I
need to improve upon.”
“I get a sense of pride when I realize all my
hard training pays off and I end up doing
well in a race.”
“I want to see how far and how fast I can
push myself”
These responses show that racing means
different things to different women but
ultimately we can see that the underlying
theme is the desire to be competitive and
challenge ourselves in a microcosm. Of
course, what would any sport be without
competition? Anyone participating in
mountain bike racing generally has some
kind of competitive urge. By nature, we
humans are competitive at work, and in
life, so it is only natural that some women
look to mountain bike racing as an outlet
for competing.
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES AND WORK

There can be many challenges for women
when they decide to start racing mountain
bikes. Piecing together a workable
training program around a family can be
difficult, but it can be done with careful
planning. Arranging for after school care
or to have a babysitter to come by a few
days a week can allow us to get out and
train worry free. Possibly scheduling
training rides early in the morning while
everyone is still sleeping is another way
racers have learned to adapt to squeeze in
more hours.
Many women also arrange for their
husband or a grandparent to watch the
Mountain Bike for Her | P. 24

kids for a couple of hours while they
train. Most women have to be creative
to make training time work, all while
trying to hold down a full-time job; the
bosses might not be so understanding
about someone wanting to leave early to
do a longer training ride, or understand
when you come in an hour late because
you were held up by a flat tire on your
morning training ride. Many times we
are often required to work late or come
in early so training must be tailored to
fit a busy schedule. Lunchtime rides are
also another good way for women racers
to pick up extra hours, and it really helps
to find some co-workers to train with.
Solidarity.
MOUNTAIN BIKING IS NOT VERY LADY LIKE

It is a sport that can be looked upon as
being more on the “manly” side and
even the attitudes that run through the
cycling world tend to promote mountain
biking as a man’s sport: the extreme sport
with massive drop-offs, big air, and big
crashes.
In the “olden days”, women were
expected to be properly dressed, be
“well-mannered” and certainly never
participate in aggressive sports. Luckily,
this view for the most part has changed
but there are still people out there who feel
that women shouldn’t involve themselves
in such “animalistic” behavior. This view
is more generally shared by people outside
of the mountain bike world, especially
among other females. Other women
at work are shocked and disgusted by
the large bruises on your legs when you
wear a skirt or dress. Scratches or cuts
are yucky! Muscular legs on a girl? Eww!
Women should be doing things like

Photo: Colin Wilson

P. 25 | Mountain Bike for Her

Photo: Colin Wilson

Mountain Bike for Her | P. 26

P. 27 | Mountain Bike for Her

horseback riding, taking dance classes
or cooking classes... Not bombing down
dusty fire roads at 40 miles an hour.
Women mountain bikers, and racers are
rebels, rebelling against what society
views as “normal” female activities. That
is part of what makes racing mountain
bikes so appealing to me, the outlaw
feeling it gives. Flipping off society!
WHY RACE?

Racing is a compact metaphor for our
daily lives: representing the struggle to
compete, thrive, and succeed.
Some people may ask why would anyone
voluntary get up at 5:00am on a Saturday
morning, drive two hours or more to a
remote location, pay fifty dollars, spend
two and half hours riding as hard as you
can, all to have your ass handed to you on
a plate? Well, the answer is pretty simple,
elemental, and it’s not because we are
crazy! It’s simply because the small group
of women racers who are out there every
weekend competing at the regional level
have a passion for the sport, love bikes,
and love competing. They love life.

Photo: Colin Wilson

We aren’t racing for sponsorship money,
for big bike companies, or as a job, but we
are doing it for personal gratification and
for a personal challenge. We spend our
weekends driving from race to race with
kids and husbands in tow. All for the glory
of a cold beer, a cheap medal, and a fourth
place finish. It’s totally worth it! 

Mountain Bike for Her | P. 28

P. 29 | Mountain Bike for Her

Discovery

POWER OF THE
PUMP TRACK
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
By Karen Kefauver
I was scared to try the pump track. Mostly,
it was vanity. I worried that I would look
like a fool trying to pedal around the dirt
circuit. What business does a 44-year-old
woman have getting in the way of all of
the guys expertly using the pump tracks
in Santa Cruz, California?
CRASH TEST DUMMY

There was also the possibility of crashing.
But I’ve hit the ground on my mountain
bike plenty of times during the past 15
years of riding singletrack trails from
Canada to Mexico to Peru. Yet, I was so
concerned about my pump track debut
that I put it off for years. Finally last
week, it was time to take the plunge.
WONDER WOMEN AT THE PUMP TRACK

designed to get women on the pump
track — perfect! Plus, she’s a friend with
a great sense of humor. That would make
me relax.
Five of us gals gathered on a hot Saturday
afternoon at the Chanticleer Pump Track
in Santa Cruz for the event organized
by Shine Riders and Girls Gone Wilder.
Three of us were brand new to the pump
track and the others had visited pump
tracks just a few times. Here’s what went
down.
SAFETY AND EQUIPMENT

“The biggest obstacle for women is
intimidation… Don’t compare yourselves
to others. If you are slow, so be it. We
are here to have fun,” Coach Joh rallied
us. We prepped: Helmets, knee and
elbow pads on, basic bike safety check
completed and tire air pressure lowered.
We brought only hard tail mountain

Photo: Clayton Ryon

Author Karen Kefauver rounds a corner with a smile
at her first ride on a pump track at Chanticleer Pump
Track in Santa Cruz.
P. 31 | Mountain Bike for Her

Photo: Clayton Ryon

At a womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clinic at Chanticleer Pump Track, instructor Johauna Rathbun, center,
demonstrates the correct arm positioning to best absorb shock and be loose on the pump
track.

Mountain Bike for Her | P. 32

bikes, not full suspension. So far, so
good. Then, things went downhill for
me.
Problem #1: My pedals were rusted
on and refused to budge for the pedal
wrench. So I would have to spend the
clinic with little clip-in pedals digging
into the balls of my feet of my running
shoes. Ouch!
Problem #2: My seat tube was too long
to be lowered. Joh took my bike seat off.
I was stunned. Where would my tired
tush rest?
Needless to say, I was worried.
OUR HOPE AND FEARS ON THE PUMP TRACK

Before proceeding to the pump track,
I practiced my front wheel lifts, while
the more advanced girls practiced
bunny hops, all under the watchful eye
of Coach Joh who had plenty of tips.
HITTING THE BIG TIME

All warmed up and stoked we went over
the pump track. “Own it, own it, own it!”
Joh cheered. After Joh demonstrated
where to ride an easy “line” on the dirt
track, I followed her path, rolling gently
onto the track I had feared for years.
Immediately, I loved it! It was flowing,
fun and the whoops and hollers of my
gal pals pushed me to go around and
around (resting in-between laps!) I
practiced the push-up-like pumping
motion to keep my body going with
momentum around the track. Ideally
you are not supposed to pedal but I
couldn’t complete a full lap without
some pedaling!
P. 33 | Mountain Bike for Her

Five women showed up to learn bike skills and then test out the Chanticleer Pump Track at a clinic
hosted by Johauna Rathbun, pictured far right. Students include (l-r) Melissa Gonzalez, Melissa Cline,
Karen Kefauver, Traci Hukill and Sarah Montplaisir.
Photo: Clayton Ryon

“This is WAY more fun than I thought,”
said my friend, Traci, a beginner rider
and also new to the pump track. I had to
agree with her. I couldn’t wait to return
for another session to practice my pump
skills and build my confidence.
LESSONS LEARNED

The pump track is a blast – even without
a bike seat and little pedal nubs digging
Mountain Bike for Her | P. 34

into my sneakers. Adrenalin took over
on the turns and berms of the track and
it didn’t matter. It’s always fun to learn
new technical skills in a women-bonding
setting. I feel lucky that I had the chance.
Most importantly for me, I won’t let the
fear of looking foolish hold me back from
trying something new that looks so fun.
I hope you’ll go for it, too. Bring it on! 

P. 35 | Mountain Bike for Her

Gear

EDITOR’S PICKS
The Editor’s Picks are select pieces of gear that we’ve tested over time.
The Race Face Chute is made
from Storm Lite Fabric,
which is DWR treated
10,000mm; 5,000g/
m2. 3-ply, soft hand
Polyester fabric.
It’s laminated to
a water-proof
breathable
membrane which
is backed by
lightweight
mesh, and fully
seam sealed to
keep water out.

The Moving Comfort Rebound Racer
offers great support for the girls! Our
tester is a DD and she found this sports
bra to be one of the more comfortable
bras she’s tried.
With hook and loop adjustable
straps, it’s also easy to adjust for the
perfect fit.

Mountain Bike for Her | P. 36

The Specialized Rumor Expert is a comfortable bike to ride for long distances. The
Rumor is solid on technical downhill trails and it was easy to get up to speed on both
the downhills and the uphills. The Specialized Rumor is also easy to throw around on
tight corners and berms.

Rand Momentum
is a fairly new
lubricant to the
scene. It claims
to be eco-friendly
and it acts as a
cleaning agent as
well as a lubricator
and protector
against the
elements.

With itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleek lines and
unobstructed vision, the
Ryders Eyewear VIA is one of the
more stylish
pairs of riding glasses on the market. The VIA also comes with
photochromic lenses which quickly adjust between sunlight and
shade, perfect for riding on the trails.

P. 37 | Mountain Bike for Her

Photo: Norma Ibarra

Mountain Bike for Her | P. 38

Photos

NORTH SHORE
MOUNTAIN BIKE
ASSOCIATION
TOONIE PRERIDES
Photos by Norma Ibarrra
From May to July 2014, The North Shore Mountain Bike
Association in North Vancouver, British Columbia is
hosting women’s only prerides of their Toonie race course.
With Coaches Cynthia Young, Kelli Sherbinin, and Penny
Deck, the prerides happen every second Thursday, rain or
shine.
The first two prerides happened under grey skies on
Fromme, one of North Vancouver’s trail networks. Norma
Ibarra was there to capture the action for us. Judging by
the photos, the rain didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits!

Mountain Bike for Her is published bi-monthly
as a free digital magazine. and is available
online through mtb4her.com and as a
subscription through issuu.com.
Views and opinions expressed are those of the
author and may not respresent the views of the
publisher, advertisers, or sponsors.

Photo: Norma Ibarra

Copyright ÂŠ 2014 by Mountain Bike for Her. No
part of this publication may be reproduced in
whole or in part without the written consent of
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